Middle Grades
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou
By Megan Saben |
Vincent and his cousin Georgia travel through the Corridor and art masterpieces to rescue Vincent's little sister while trying to undo the villainous efforts of ...
Read More 
Stuff Kids Should Know by Clark and Bryant
By Janie Cheaney |
Stuff Kids Should Know draws from a popular podcast to detail the fascinating histories behind some everyday realities. Stuff Kids Should Know: The Mind-Blowing Histories ...
Read More 
Starboard by Nicola Skinner
By Janie Cheaney |
Starboard takes a young reality-TV star on an involuntary voyage of self-discovery. Starboard by Nicola Skinner. Harper 2023 (US edition), 398 pages. Reading Level: Middle ...
Read More 
My Head Has a Bellyache and More Nonsense by Chris Harris
By Megan Saben |
Poems about nail clippings, sausages, and page numbers?! Yes, and many more. My Head Has a Bellyache and More Nonsense by Chris Harris, illustrated by ...
Read More 
Teaching the Faith: *The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism
By Janie Cheaney |
A new edition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism uses cartoon illustrations as an aid to understanding and discussion. *The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern ...
Read More 
How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd
By Janie Cheaney |
In How to Stay Invisible, an abandoned boy attempts to make it on his own and discovers he needs other people. How to Stay Invisible ...
Read More 
Ginny Off the Map by Caroline Hickey
By Janie Cheaney |
In Ginny off the Map, a geography-obsessed sixth-grader learns to meet people where they are and find “true north” in her own family. Ginny Off ...
Read More 
*Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins
By Hayley Morell |
Hope in the Valley captures one girl’s momentous summer as she processes grief, grapples with change, and finds her own voice along the way. *Hope ...
Read More 
The McNifficents by Amy Mckechnie
By Janie Cheaney |
The McNifficents are a family of rambunctious kids corralled by a perceptive and conscientious Schnauzer. The McNifficents by Amy Makechnie. Simon & Schuster, 2023, 310 ...
Read More 
The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story by Lois Lowry
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Windeby Puzzle is half history and half story: Lowry allows young readers to peer behind the curtain into the process of creating a work ...
Read More 
In the Tunnel by Julie Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
In the Tunnel takes readers into the savagery and family upheaval of the Korean War . In the Tunnel by Julie Lee. Holiday House, 2023, ...
Read More 
Comics: Whys, Hows, and Wherefores
By Janie Cheaney |
(Originally published at Redeemed Reader on November 27, 2013) Most kids enjoy comics or their upscale cousins, graphic novels. Of those who enjoy them, many ...
Read More 
Summer Fun Ahead: a Picture Book Tour
By Janie Cheaney |
(Originally published at Redeemed Reader on May 21, 2013) The Not-for-Parents Travel Book, Lonely Planet Publications, 2011, 207 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 ...
Read More 
Alternative Physics: Larklight
By Janie Cheaney |
(Originally posted at Redeemed Reader on July 27, 2013) The Larklight Trilogy, by Philip Reeve, decorated throughout by David Wyatt: Larklight (2006), Starcross (2007), Mothstorm ...
Read More 
Batter Up! Books About Baseball (a Librarian’s List)
By Betsy Farquhar |
(Originally published at Redeemed Reader on May 27, 2013; updated July, 2023) Aside from the beach, nothing says "summertime" and "American" more than a game ...
Read More 
Talking About Money
By Janie Cheaney |
(Originally published at Redeemed Reader on June 1, 2012) We think of summertime as beach days, catch-up-on-our-reading days, vacation days, camp days (more on that ...
Read More 
Beach Books! (Librarians’ List)
By Betsy Farquhar |
Originally published at Redeemed Reader on June 6, 2014. Of course a professional book reviewer and librarian takes books with her to the beach—for herself ...
Read More 
Gladys Hunt on Stellar Historical Fiction
By Janie Cheaney |
Editor's Note: We're wrapping up our Honey for a Child's Heart Read-along with Chapter 19, on historical novels. Sarah, Plain and Tall Series Originally published ...
Read More 
When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
When Clouds Touch Us follows up the award-winning Inside Out and Back Again with the further adventures of a Vietnamese refugee family in the 1970s. ...
Read More 
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Magician's Elephant is a delicately written (and illustrated) fairy tale of one boy's longing for family, one girl's longing for home, and an elephant ...
Read More 
The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
By Janie Cheaney |
Noting one important consideration, The Firefly Summer is an enjoyable light read with a theme of family solidarity. The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson. Simon ...
Read More 
Big Tree by Brian Selznick
By Janie Cheaney |
Big Tree, by best-selling author-illustrator Brian Selznick, attempts to capture the wonder of creation without a Creator. Big Tree by Brian Selznick. Scholastic, 2023, 525 ...
Read More 
*The Labors of Hercles Beal by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
The title character of The Labors of Hercules Beal works through his grief by duplicating, in contemporary terms, the 12 "labors" of his mythical namesake. ...
Read More 
Picture Books to Make You Think: Twenty Questions, Bucket of Questions, Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots, and The Tree and the River
By Janie Cheaney |
Four new picture books raised questions and stimulate discussion for readers ages 3-12. Twenty Questions by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Candlewick, 2023, 32 ...
Read More 
Two Books about Sexuality for Kids and Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
Books about sexuality for kids and teens are not new, but these days, it's getting harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. Well-meaning titles ...
Read More 
Abandon Ship by Michael J. Tougias
By Janie Cheaney |
Abandon Ship! tells the little-known story of a World War II sea disaster with a surprising twist. Abandon Ship! The True World War II Story ...
Read More 
The Book That No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade
By Betsy Farquhar |
What if a book writes itself, but is determined that no one should actually read the final product? The Book That No One Wanted to ...
Read More 
Button Pusher by Tyler Page
By Janie Cheaney |
Button Pusher is the graphic-novel memoir of a boy who struggled with ADHD before learning to manage it. Button Pusher by Tyler Page. First Second, ...
Read More 
The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat
By Janie Cheaney |
The Legends of Lotus Island series follows a child of destiny as she seeks to pass “The Guardian Test.” The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus ...
Read More 
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri: A Book Discussion
By Janie Cheaney |
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri: Betsy and Janie Discuss Betsy: Janie, you and I both (eagerly) received advance ...
Read More 
*Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli
By Megan Saben |
Themes of loving nature, loving one's neighbor, and loving Truth are woven through Bright April, a story that gracefully handles racism and the dignity of ...
Read More 
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
In Iceberg, a 12-year-old stowaway experiences history's worst maritime disaster. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic, 2023, 339 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 ...
Read More 
Nonfiction Picture Books: Concrete; Luminous; The Animal Toolkit; The Universe in You; Digestion: The Musical
By Janie Cheaney |
Outstanding picture books from 2022 feature the story of a ubiquitous building material, unusual animals, basic particle physics, and a different take on the topic ...
Read More 
School Trip by Jerry Craft
By Janie Cheaney |
School Trip, a companion novel to Newbery-winning New Kid, launches the Riverdale Academy students on a tour of Paris. School Trip by Jerry Craft. Quill ...
Read More 
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
By Janie Cheaney |
In A First Time for Everything, Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat looks back on a life-changing tour of Europe as a 13-year-old. A First Time for ...
Read More 
Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
By Janie Cheaney |
Not an Easy Win is the encouraging story of a displaced young man finding purpose and life lessons in the game of chess. Not an ...
Read More 
Noticing by Kobi Yomada
By Janie Cheaney |
Noticing, a picture book for tweens and older, beautifully illustrates the point that “One of the best things you can be is interested.” Noticing by ...
Read More 
Honey and Me by Meira Drazin
By Janie Cheaney |
Honey and Me explores the fun and challenge of middle-grade friendship in the context of the Orthodox Jewish community. Honey and Me by Meira Drazin. ...
Read More 
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
By Betsy Farquhar |
Spare and sensitive, Liar & Spy is a warm-hearted middle-grades story about two lonely boys who form a deep, abiding friendship. Liar & Spy by ...
Read More 
CSK Illlustrator Roundup: Standing in the Need of Prayer, Me and the Boss, and The Talk
By Janie Cheaney |
The Coretta Scott King award, an prominent part of the annual ALA Youth Media Awards, honors African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for ...
Read More 
Bright Island by Mabel Robinson (Retro Reads)
By Betsy Farquhar |
In this "Retro Reads" book, homeschooled Thankful Curtis must leave her beloved island to brave the mainland and boarding school. Bright Island by Mabel Robinson. ...
Read More 
Princess of the Wild Sea by Megan Frazer Blakemore
By Janie Cheaney |
A twist on Sleeping Beauty, Princess of the Wild Sea explores the concept of heroism and the danger and reward of risk-taking. Princess of the ...
Read More 
Victory, Stand! by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
By Janie Cheaney |
Victory, Stand!, this year's ALA YA nonfiction award winner, tells the story of the notorious "Olympic fist" from a point of view that makes it ...
Read More 
At Jerusalem’s Gate by Nikki Grimes
By Betsy Farquhar |
At Jersualem's Gate offers poetic meditations on what people involved in the events leading to Christ's resurrection might have thought and felt. At Jerusalem's Gate: ...
Read More 
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
By Megan Saben |
A glorious story of heroism in which a mother's deep love for her children shines brightly. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert ...
Read More 
The Really Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton
By Betsy Farquhar |
A tremendous follow-up to The Radical Book for Kids, The Really Radical Book for Kids offers plenty of trivia along with plenty of thoughts to ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Winner: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
By Janie Cheaney |
Freewater, this year's Newbery Medal winner, is as much an adventure tale as little-known history. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. Little, Brown (James Patterson Presents), 2022, ...
Read More 
When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods
By Hayley Morell |
History and a summer adventure combine in an engaging, slim, novel-in-verse for middle grade readers. When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods. Nancy Paulsen Books, ...
Read More 
A Place for Peter by Elizabeth Yates
By Megan Saben |
A Place for Peter is a good choice for boys who are avid readers and enjoy character-driven, literary coming-of-age stories, or families who are looking ...
Read More 
Caldecott Honor Roundup: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, Berry Song, Choosing Brave, and Knight Owl
By Janie Cheaney |
This year's Caldecott honor books explore a range of moods from wistful to whimsical. Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason ...
Read More 
The British Are Coming (Young Reader Ed.) by Rick Atkinson
By Janie Cheaney |
The British Are Coming recounts the first 4 years of the American Revolution in an engaging style, capturing substance and detail. The British Are Coming ...
Read More 
Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait by Leonard S. Marcus
By Janie Cheaney |
Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is an unusual and touching look at our nation's 16th president through the then-new medium of photography. Mr. Lincoln ...
Read More 
Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke
By Janie Cheaney |
"Too Small Tola" returns in a second volume of this warm-hearted series of Nigerian family life. Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by ...
Read More 
Love and Laughter Book List
By Janie Cheaney |
A Valentine's Day list of books that celebrate family love and wholesome romance. It’s the season of hearts and flowers and chocolate. Valentine’s Day is ...
Read More 
Windswept by Margi Preus
By Janie Cheaney |
Windswept is a lovely fantasy/fairy tale of children learning to take on the responsibility of stewardship through story, service, and sacrifice. Windswept by Margi Preus. ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Buzz Roundup #2: Frizzy, How to Build a Human, and Attack of the Black Rectangles
By Janie Cheaney |
The American Library Association will announce the winners of its very influential Youth Media Awards, headed by the Newbery and Caldecott. Since we can't help ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Buzz #4: Jack Zulu
By Betsy Farquhar |
Does an independently published novel like Jack Zulu have what it takes to win the Newbery? We're back with Newbery Buzz Discussion #4 for 2023. ...
Read More 
*A Dragon Used to Live Here by Annette LeBlanc Cate
By Hayley Morell |
In a whimsical tale within a tale, two royal children discover that their castle (and their own mother!) have a very interesting past. A Dragon ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Buzz #3: Northwind
By Janie Cheaney |
Might Gary Paulsen's last novel be a sentimental favorite for Newbery recognition? The State of Nature Betsy: Janie, this is only the second Paulsen book ...
Read More 
Newbery Roundup #1: Freestyle, Swim Team, and Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
By Janie Cheaney |
Three novels for middle-grades that may be under consideration for this year's top prize Freestyle by Gale Galligan. Graphix; (Scholastic), 2022, 322 pages. (Ages 10-14) ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Buzz #2: The Door of No Return
By Janie Cheaney |
Back for our second buzz, Janie and Betsy talk over a troubling but moving verse novel. Out of Africa Janie: Kwame Alexander scored a gold ...
Read More 
The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson
By Janie Cheaney |
In The Lucky Ones, an impoverished family in the rural south takes a big step up during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s. The ...
Read More 
Wintry Stories: A Book List for Middle Grades and Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
Whether you live in a place with snow or not, January is the perfect month for a cozy snow story (or three). Look for some ...
Read More 
2023 Newbery Buzz #1: A Rover’s Story
By Janie Cheaney |
It's that time again, readers! The hour for selecting winners of the world's most prestigious children's book award draws near. Redeemed Reader has little (that ...
Read More 
The Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka
By Janie Cheaney |
In The Real Dada Mother Goose, popular humorist Jon Scieszka subjects familiar nursery rhymes to every possible variation. The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury ...
Read More 
Out of Range by Heidi Lang
By Janie Cheaney |
Out of Range puts three warring sisters into a life-or-death situation that will destroy their bond—and perhaps their lives—or restore it. Out of Range by ...
Read More 
Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb
By Janie Cheaney |
In Looking for True, A lonely boy and a frustrated girl find common cause in rescuing a dog from its neglectful owner. Looking for True ...
Read More 
Unbreakable by Rebecca Barone
By Janie Cheaney |
Unbreakable makes the complicated story of unlocking the Enigma code accessible for young readers. Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code by Rebecca ...
Read More 
Peace Is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone
By Janie Cheaney |
Peace Is a Chain Reaction tells a little-known story of World War II and how former enemies of opposite sides of an ocean came together ...
Read More 
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure is a realistic but heartwarming animal tale of loyalty and friendship. Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan ...
Read More 
Gladys Hunt on Christmas Books
By Janie Cheaney |
Editor's Note: Is reading aloud beside the Christmas tree one of your family's holiday traditions? If so, you'll want to copy & paste this list ...
Read More 
*The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
By Hayley Morell |
In a debut novel reminiscent of Maud Hart Lovelace and Laura Ingalls Wilder, a young girl discovers new friends, family, and hope. *The Star that ...
Read More 
The Rat Queen by Pete Hautman
By Janie Cheaney |
Though not for every reader, The Rat Queen effectively exposes the harm caused to individual souls by hiding or excusing their own sins. The Rat ...
Read More 
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
By Janie Cheaney |
A Rover's Story employs an unusual protagonist to celebrate science, space exploration, and humanity. A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga. Balzer+Bray, 2022, 294 pages. Reading ...
Read More 
Home for Christmas, edited by Miriam LeBlanc
By Betsy Farquhar |
Home for Christmas is a lovely, literary collection of stories, old and new, that highlight the "spirit" of Christmas. Home for Christmas: Stories for Young ...
Read More
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
The Door of No Return uses beautifully modulated verse to communicate the humanity of the Ashanti people and the horrors of the African slave trade. ...
Read More 
Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
By Janie Cheaney |
Black Bird, Blue Road is set in a neglected period of world history and explores the subject of death through a lens of Jewish mythology. ...
Read More 
Are Cozy Animal Stories Cozying up to Gay Ideology?
By Janie Cheaney |
One of our readers alerted us to Katherine Applegate’s latest book, as it seemed to her to feature a lesbian relationship. Odder, picturing a beyond-cute ...
Read More 
Contending for the Faith by Joel Beeke and William Boekestein
By Janie Cheaney |
Contending for the Faith takes readers back to the English Reformation and the origins of the Westminster Confession. Contending for the Faith: The Story of ...
Read More 
Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
By Janie Cheaney |
Wildoak is a gentle story about a girl finding a voice and a cause in the natural world. Wildoak by C. C. Harrigan. Scholastic, 2022, ...
Read More 
Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins
By Janie Cheaney |
Mouse siblings Violet and Jobie must suddenly fend for themselves in a world both terrifying and lovely. Violet & Jobie in the Wild by Lynn ...
Read More 
*Church History by Simonetta Carr
By Janie Cheaney |
Simonetta Carr’s Church History is a must-have for Christian families, good for years of reference and encouragement. *Church History by Simonetta Carr. Reformation Heritage, 265 ...
Read More 
Our Hymns, Our Heritage by David and Barbara Leeman
By Janie Cheaney |
The Leeman’s excellent student hymnal has been republished by Moody Press, with additional songs and supplements. *Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs ...
Read More
*Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key by S.D. Smith and J. C. Smith
By Betsy Farquhar |
Jack Zulu finds adventure where he least expects it in this new middle grades fantasy series opener from S. D. Smith. Jack Zulu and the ...
Read More 
The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
The Vanderbeekrs, one of our favorite families, is on the road to discovery, opportunity, and possibly romance. The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan ...
Read More 
Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
By Janie Cheaney |
Ride On is an equestrian graphic novel that horse aficionados will devour. Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks. First Second, 2022, 218 pages. Reading Level: ...
Read More 
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Hummingbird features a plucky protagonist with a debilitating bone disease—who doesn’t see herself as debilitated. Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd. Scholastic, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: ...
Read More 
Yonder by Ali Standish
By Janie Cheaney |
Yonder is a thoughtful and moving historical novel about the nature of heroism. Yonder by Ali Standish. Harper, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
Read More 
Labor Day: Books about Work
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers: this is an adaptation of one of the first posts on Redeemed Reader, way back in 2011 (written by Emily Whitten, the "I" in ...
Read More 
Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Lines of Courage follows five young protagonists through the epoch-making carnage of World War I. Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, 2022, ...
Read More 
Brand New Kid by David Almond
By Janie Cheaney |
Brand New Boy explores the "humanity" of manufactured humans through the eyes of curious middle-school students. Brand New Boy by David Almond, with pictures by ...
Read More 
Quick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
By Janie Cheaney |
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado. Treasure Tracks by S. A. Rodriguez. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022, 214 pages. Reading Level: ...
Read More 
*Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek
By Janie Cheaney |
In Marshmallow Clouds, two poets look at the world, both the sublime and the mundane, through expressive wordplay. *Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play among ...
Read More 
The Islanders: Search for Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe
By Janie Cheaney |
The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Islanders: Search for Treasure ...
Read More 
The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin
By Janie Cheaney |
The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter. The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, illustrated by Tracy ...
Read More 
Graphic-Novel History: History Comics and Who HQ
By Janie Cheaney |
Telling history and science through pictures is an obvious way to teach, but watch out when a series attempts to do more than communicate the ...
Read More 
Back to School Books for Middle School
By Betsy Farquhar |
Is it back to school time already? Depending on which part of the country you live in, some schools will be starting up in the ...
Read More 
Spineless by Samantha San Miguel
By Janie Cheaney |
A sickly young man finds both adventure and wisdom in Spineless, an enjoyable debut novel set in turn-of-the-century Florida. Spineless by Samantha San Miguel. Union ...
Read More 
Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein
By Janie Cheaney |
Fans of Mr. Lemoncello's world of puzzles and games will enjoy this story of how he got his start. Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game by ...
Read More 
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman
By Janie Cheaney |
The much-hyped fantasy series opener Skandar and the Unicorn Thief breaks new ground in unicorn lore. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman. ...
Read More